This invention concerns fiber treatment. More specifically, it concerns a method and a composition which imparts to fiber materials and fiber products an appropriate slip and lubricity and a durable flexibility, smoothness, creaseproofness, compression recovery and stretch recovery. In order to provide fiber materials and fiber products with flexibility, smoothness, creaseproofness, recovery, etc., various treatment agents consisting of organopolysiloxanes or compositions thereof have conventionally been provided or proposed.
For example, it is known that a dimethylpolysiloxane oil or its emulsion impart flexibility. A treatment agent consisting of a methylhydrogenpolysiloxane, a hydroxyl-terminated dimethylpolysiloxane and a condensation reaction catalyst or treatment agent consisting of a methylhydrogenpolysiloxane, a vinyl-containing diorganopolysiloxane and an addition reaction catalyst, have been proposed for imparting durable flexibility creaseproofness and recovery. With regard to recent, practical agents, Japanese Pat. No. 48-17514 [73-17514] proposes a treatment agent consisting of an organopolysiloxane which contains at least two epoxy groups per molecule and an amino group-containing organopolysiloxane for imparting smoothness to synthetic organic fibers. Japanese Pat. No. 53-36079 [78-36079] proposes a treatment agent consisting of a hydroxyl-terminated diorganopolysiloxane, an organopolysiloxane which contains an amino group and an alkoxy group in each molecule and/or its partial hydrolyzate and condensate. Japanese Pat. Nos. 53-19715 [78-19715] and 53-19716 [78-19716] propose a treatment agent consisting of an aminoalkyltrialkoxysilane and an epoxy group-containing organopolysiloxane. Japanese Kokai Pat. No. 53-98499 [78-98499] proposes a triorganosiloxane-terminated diorganopolysiloxane containing at least two aminoalkyl groups per molecule. Moreover, mixtures of water-soluble polyacrylamide resins and aminoplast resins have been used in order to impart hardness to fiber materials and fiber products.
However, these known treatment agents suffer drawbacks. For example, the treatment agent using a dimethylpolysiloxane oil as the principal agent provides an inadequate creaseproofness and recovery and the flexibility and smoothness are not durable. Treatment agents using an alkoxysilane as an essential component suffer the following drawbacks: the alkoxysilane tends to hydrolyze during emulsification, the life of the process bath is too short and the hand is too stiff. Also, the heat treatment conditions must be rigorous or curing will be inadequate which makes it unsuitable for treating synthetic fiber products. The treatment agent employing a methylhydrogenpolysiloxane as an essential component suffers the drawback of inadequate curing in the absence of a catalyst while the use of a catalyst shortens the life of the process bath. Without an adequate heat treatment, the treatment agent employing an epoxy group-containing organopolysiloxane and an amino group-containing organopolysiloxane as the principal components will not provide durability while imparting too much slip, thus reducing the natural feel of natural fibers. Moreover, the mixture of polyacrylamide resin and aminoplast resin imparts a too stiff hand while lacking creaseproofness.